Alonso, Massa & Ferrari - Is the Honeymoon Over?

[FB]

Oh I do like a good gossip!

The cheerful bonhomie (was there ever any?) that was buidling at Ferrrai between Massa and Alonso appears to be a target of the Spanish Press. Massa has been quoted as saying Alonso needs to do more to integrate himself with the team; well, he should know he works there. However a Spanish newspaper chose to run a headline saying "Why don't you shut up?" (to Massa).

Alonso is keeping his head down but, given Massa's previous comments about Alonso in relation to "Crashgate" you would think the Spanish press would avoid winding the little feller up. I know it's a cliche about "emotional Latins" but I always got the impression Massa wears his heart on his sleeve and having the Spanish press taking pot shots at him isn't going to keep him calm...

Alonso calm amid Massa's Spanish media spat

 

[FB]

Here's a translation of the newspaper article if your Spanish isn't up to tackling the original.

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translat...no-te-callas.html&lp=es_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

 

[cider_and_toast]

I absolutely love this babel transaltion.

Massa was clear: “Fernando is one of the best pilots of the grill, but not the best one because now it has returned Schumacher”, responded to one of the questions that did to him.

Sounds like the falling out was over who was the best cook at the annual Ferrari winter BBQ !!!

As for the two of them, I don't think any team mate is likely to get on that well with Alonso. It will be interesting to see how things develop between them. The press in Spain will do their level best to stir things up.

 

[snowy]

Fernando won't have that many problems with Felipe and visa versa. It will be the team and how they manage their emotional duo. For all the animosity that Fernando had and still has from his time at McLaren, he never directed any at his former teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Fernando will eventually feel that he needs Ferarri 100% behind him and if he feels Felipe is getting as much or more attention it will erk him. But the chances of him falling out with Felipe are next to zero, if you consider the fact that he didn't fall out with Lewis. Fernando could really have been forgiven for falling out with Lewis and taking Lewis' behaviour personally... and visa versa.

 

[fedupwithuserids]

Good news doesn't sell newspapers.
Bad news, despite how untruthfull does.

 

[Brogan]

I see Ferrari are desperately trying to play down the pit lane entry incident between Alonso and Massa, claiming the media are deliberately trying to cause trouble.

Massa has chosen his words carefully but I suspect he's been more or less told what to say and how to say it.
I can't imagine however that he's too impressed with losing several places bearing in mind he had to queue behind Alonso.

Alonso on the other hand would have been desperate to get past after he was apparently held up in the last few races by Massa.

So will this change things at the team or is it just a storm in a china teacup?

 

[Boyle]

Martin Brundle made quite a good point in his BBC column

On that subject, Alonso passed Massa with a cunning move into the pit lane. How did Ferrari recognise that so quickly and swap Massa's tyres, which were already in the pit-stop area, for Alonso's so they could be fitted first?

Either the Ferrari mechanics were expecting Alonso in first or they were phenomenally fast in changing from Massa's to Alonso's tyres. It is strange that one would make a pass like that if one knew the team were ready for your team mate, with your team mate's set of wheels! Was Alonso told to go past?

 

[Brogan]

I read on James Allen's site that both drivers radioed the pit to say that Alonso was in front.
I'd love to have heard what Massa said
"That has just cut me up! !"

They knew they were both coming in so both sets of tyres would have been ready anyway.